Family Friends
by Kyuu333
Summary: Little Roark and his family have some family friends coming over to visit Oreburgh City, and Roark finally gets to meet their son for the first time... A long one-shot.


I come up with too many ideas for Pokemon fanfictions...inspiration just comes to me subconsciously, and then I can't get it out of my head and I have to write it down. Anyways, here's a random longcat is long one-shot~

Also, this story takes place about 10 years in the past, so...Roark's about 8, and I just made up ages for everyone else, so Riley will be about 11 and Byron and Roark's mom will be about 30, and Riley's parents will be slightly older than them, in their late 30's or so. There's also some really mild RileyxRoark, though it's mostly just a best-friends relationship. Well, think whatever you want, it doesn't really matter...

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters, still. Just so you know.

* * *

The bright sun rose high enough to shine on the entire Oreburgh City, the light bouncing off the glass windows of all the buildings. Though almost everyone was awake in the area, there was one little boy, hiding under his covers, refusing to open his eyes.

"Honey?" a voice called from the hallway, and the boy grumbled lazily, snuggling even more into his thick blankets. Footsteps could be heard, approaching the room, and at last a woman appeared at the doorway. "Roark!!" she exclaimed, walking over to the child's bed. She glared at him slightly, wearing a deep frown. "Honey, get up! It's already 12:00, and you've **way** overslept!!" The boy just mumbled something inaudible and buried his head into the blanket even more. Sighing, the lady grasped the edge of the blanket closest to her and pulled roughly. Not prepared for the sudden tug, the boy let go of the blanket, and it went drifting off, out of his reach. Though with the blanket gone, he still lay there, clutching his big Pokeball shaped pillow like his life depended on it, shutting his eyes harder. The woman sighed again, this time sounding slightly disappointed. "Roark, just get up, already!"

"But, Mom," Roark finally groaned, his voice sounding sleepy and annoyed, "It's Sunday!! You always let me sleep in as long as I want on Sundays, right?" His mother frowned.

"Not today, hon," she objected. "Don't you remember? I told you that your auntie and uncle were visiting today!" Roark blinked, suddenly wide awake.

"They are??" he asked, sitting up with a clueless expression on his face, though still hugging the pillow to his chest. The "Auntie and Uncle" that they were talking about weren't actually Roark's aunt and uncle. They were just very close family friends, but they still acted a lot like real family to Roark and his parents, so everyone referred to them as if they were really related.

Yes," Roark's mother sighed, disappointed that her son had forgot, "and they're bringing their son with them this time. You haven't met him yet, so I thought this would be a great opportunity for you two to finally introduce each other. Now, hurry along and get ready, they'll be here soon. And, for goodness sake, comb your hair!!" With that, she pulled him out of his messy room and directed him to the bathroom.

Roark stepped into the dark room and, after a few seconds of reaching up and finding the switch, turned on the light. Reaching for his toothbrush, he did his daily routine. Looking up at the bathroom mirror after washing his face, which was still dripping with water, he groaned as he saw his nearly shoulder-length mahogany hair tangled and matted. He grabbed a comb and started trying to neaten it up the best he could, wincing whenever he pulled the comb as it got stuck in one of the many knots. As he worked on his hair, his mind wandered, thinking about what his aunt and uncle's son was going to be like. _'I wonder what he looks like...either way, I hope he's nice...'_

At that moment, his father walked in. He looked and spotted his son standing at the mirror, then made a grin that split his face. "Hey, son!" he greeted cheerily, ruffling Roark's hair that he just finished combing. Roark surpressed a sigh and fixed it again.

"Hey, Dad," he replied, turning to smile at his father. "Why were you up so early?"

"Why, training of course! Your dad's gotta keep in good shape, for the gym challenges and all," the older man exclaimed. Byron was a big man, with a gruff voice. He was wearing his usual clothes, which were all wet and sweaty after a morning of training down at the Oreburgh Mine, though Roark noticed that he actually shaved, for once; his hair on his chin was neatly trimmed, though the hair on his head was still in its usual messy state. His skin was very dirty as well, covered in dust. He was carefully holding some clean clothes on his arm, trying not to get them dirty as well. "I've gotta shower really quick though, before our guests come," he continued.

"Oh, right! I've just finished getting ready, so you can use the bathroom now," Roark offered, stepping out of the room. Byron smiled.

"Thanks, bud," he said, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. The boy stared at the door for a second, then grinned and walked away. He wanted to be just like his dad when he grew up; running a gym and training hard with Pokemon, though he wasn't allowed to raise Pokemon yet until he was 10. Still, he dreamed.

Going back into his room, Roark grabbed some fresh clothes that his mother had set down on his bed and changed quickly into them and out of his pajamas. After a brief glance at the mirror, he finally went to grab some food at the kitchen. He sat down at the table and was about to take a bite out of the bread that he just toasted, when Byron walked in, looking a lot cleaner than usual. He popped some of his own bread into the toaster and joined his son at the table.

"Um, Dad," Roark started. Byron looked to him.

"What is it, son?" he asked curiously.

"About Auntie and Uncle...have you met their son yet?"

"Ahhh, you mean Riley?" the older man asked, scratching his chin. "Yeah, I've met him a while ago. He's about three years older than you, I think."

_'Riley...so that's his name,'_ Roark thought quietly. "What's he like?" he questioned.

"Hmmm...he's a pretty nice kid," Byron said, trying to remember. "You'll get along with him, I'm sure. He really loves Pokemon, just like you."

Roark grinned. Everyone that he knew liked Pokemon, even if they tried not to admit it. You could tell by the way they talked about them; how they would suddenly start smiling whenever they're mentioned. The toast suddenly jumped out of the toaster, and Byron grabbed them quickly. They ate in silence, as Roark's mother rushed around, doing some last minute clean-up. He wasn't sure about his father, but Roark was deep in thought, still wondering about Riley. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and they all jumped.

"Uh-oh!" Byron exclaimed, getting up and cramming the last bit of toast into his mouth, nearly choking by doing so.

"Dear! Chew your food," Roark's mother chastised. "Don't worry, I'll get it. Just finish eating slowly!"

Th door opened, and Roark heard some cheerful greetings as his aunt and uncle were welcomed in. He slipped off his chair and jogged over, excited and nervous at the same time.

"Roark, honey, say hello to your aunt and uncle," his mother urged when he came over. Roark looked up and smiled at the two guests.

"Hi Auntie, hi Uncle." he said cheerily.

"Hello, Roark!!" his aunt exclaimed, returning his smile.

"Wow, you've gotten taller," his uncle continued. "At this rate, you'll probably be taller than your father when you get older!" Roark grinned at that comment, as Byron, who had finally finished his toast after trying not to choke, lumbered over.

"Hey, it's great to see all of you again! And Riley, wow, I haven't seen you in a while, kiddo! How've you been?" he greeted, being kind of late. Roark blinked and looked over, not seeing the other boy at first. Riley stood to the side, standing almost behind his parents, being quiet. Roark could tell that he was a bit older than him, mostly because of the fact that he was a little taller. His dark blue hair was very spiky and stuck out at all sides, and his eyes, also a deep blue, were soft and gleaming. He looked up at the big, rough looking gym leader, and smiled kindly.

"Hi, Uncle. I've been good lately," he replied.

"Ahh, that's good to know!" Byron said with a grin. "Well, come on in, everyone! Don't just stand there!"

The three guests stepped inside, and the parents were all settled down, starting a huge chat, just like all parents do. Riley had spotted Roark and went over to him.

"You're Roark, right?" he asked. "My name is Riley. It's nice to meet you!"

"Y-yeah, nice to meet you," Roark replied, and they shook hands.

"This is my first time in Oreburgh City..." Riley continued, looking towards the window. "It seems like a cool place so far."

"Really???" Roark exclaimed. "Then that means...have you been to the mine yet?" The older boy looked at him curiously.

"No, not yet..."

"The mine's **really** cool. My dad owns it, and there's a lot of awesome Pokemon down there! You should see it..."

"It sounds pretty cool," Riley answered as Roark trailed off, thinking about something.

"Oh, hey, I know! Hey, Dad!!" Roark ran over to his father, though he was deep in a conversation. "...Dad? Dad!!!!"

"Huh? What is it?" Byron asked, finally noticing him.

"Is it okay is Riley and I go explore the mine?"

"Hmmm, sure, son," Byron answered after a moment of thinking.

"Yaay! Thanks!" Roark exclaimed, grinning at the man. He ran back to Riley. "Come on, let's go!"

"But be careful!!!" his mother called after him as he led Riley outside, being on the cautious side, as usual.

"Oh, don't worry," Roark's aunt reassured her. "Riley has a Pokemon that can help them if they get in trouble."

"They won't even get in trouble, I'm sure! Roark's been in there plenty of times," Byron exclaimed with a laugh. But all of them were at least a little bit worried on the inside. Parents were parents, after all.

----------

As the two walked out, Roark looked over to see a magnificent building; the Oreburgh Gym, where people trained and new challengers arrived every day to battle the gym leader, Byron. Though the building was empty-closed for the day, for obvious reasons-, Roark couldn't help but feel prideful when he saw it. His father was such a powerful Pokemon trainer, and barely anyone that Roark's seen has ever beaten him.

"The Oreburgh Mine's just down there," Roark explained, pointing to an area that was filled with construction. Riley nodded, staring at the mechanics with amazement. They walked in silence towards it, until the cave entrance could be seen. Roark pulled Riley towards it, quickening his pace slightly. "Come on!" His voice was full of excitement. That mine was always full of new discoveries whenever he went to explore it.

They went through the entrance to the mine, and Roark stopped, letting their eyes adjust to the darkness. Some dim lights were hung on the rocky ceiling, making it just bright enough to see.

"Wow," Riley gasped, seeing how big the area was, with conveyor belts running on the sides. There were big stairs leading downwards, deeper into the mine. No one was there, naturally; everyone had a day off from work during Sundays. Before they continued into the darkness, Roark suddenly turned, walking up to a huge bin to the right. Riley followed him quickly.

"We have to wear these helmets...just in case," Roark said, having to stand on his toes to see inside of the bin, which was stuffed with yellow helmets; each with a small light connected to the front and black straps on the sides to make sure that they stayed on people's heads. Roark frowned as he searched the sea of helmets, apparently not seeing the thing that he was looking for. "Huh...where is it..." he muttered quietly, starting to dig into the bin. Still not finding the object, he dug deeper.

"Hey, Roark," Riley started, but the younger boy wasn't listening, still digging in the bin, determined to find what he was looking for.

"Where is it, where is it," he kept muttering as he looked. Finally, reaching deep within the box, he found the object. "Hah! I found it!" he grabbed hold of it, but then realized that he couldn't touch the ground. Flailing his legs around, he discovered that he had just buried himself into the sea of helmets, with nothing but his feet sticking out of the bin. "Um...a little help?"

He heard the faint sound of Riley's laughter, muffled by all of the helmets, then felt hands around his ankles as the older boy helped him out. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he pulled his head out of the bin, taking a deep breath. Those helmets were stinky; probably because everyone used them whenever they came in to work. He turned to Riley, who was still slightly grinning. "Thanks," he muttered, blushing slightly with embarrassment.

"Your welcome," Riley laughed, then looked at him curiously. "What were you trying to find, anyways?" Roark proudly held up the item that he had picked up; it was a helmet, looking exactly like the others, besides the fact that it was red instead of yellow.

"This is the only red helmet in the mine," Roark explained. "I always wear this one when going in."

"What if someone else takes it before you do?" Riley asked.

"They don't," Roark said simply. "I don't really know why...I guess no one wants to be the odd ball." Riley shrugged, then bent over to pick up one of the helmets that fell on the floor while he was helping the younger boy out of the bin. They both strapped their helmets on-though they were pretty big on them, obviously made for adults-and decended on the stairs together, entering the **real** part of the mine.

Once they entered, tons of Geodudes scampered by, playing with each other. The boys both stared at them with amusement and wonder. Looking further into the cave, there were bunches of even more Pokemon; more Geodudes and some Machops, either playing or sparring together, but all of them having fun at the same time. They walked on, further into the mine, as some Pokemon stopped to examine them curiously, some even stopping to greet them kindly. Roark waved at them and grinned, and they mirrored his actions.

"There's so many Pokemon living here," Riley exclaimed, looking around.

"Yep!" Roark replied, still waving to some other Geodudes. "That's one of the reasons on why I come here. The other reason is collecting fossils. My dad loves collecting them, so I'm trying to help him find some. I want to grow up to be just like him someday," he sighed, looking up at the dim lights on the ceiling dreamily. "I really want to become a powerful trainer, once I get my Pokemon." Riley smiled.

"I think you will be a great trainer," he encouraged. Roark looked to him, surprised. "As long as you work hard, and keep your love for Pokemon, you're sure to be strong!"

"...Yeah, I guess you're right," Roark laughed. He turned and started walking backwards, still facing Riley. "All right! I'll work as hard as I can, and become the best trainer there is!" he exclaimed confidently. Riley nodded, smiling back, then was distracted by the passing Pokemon. Roark was deep in thought again, lost in his dreams. They walked on like that for a while, enjoying the mine and the Pokemon living within it. Riley finally looked towards Roark, then noticed something strange...His eyes widened.

"Look out!!" he suddenly cried.

"Huh-?" Roark started, He was still walking backwards when he felt his foot touch nothing but air. Then, he felt himself falling. "Waaah!!!" he shouted, flailing his arms. Riley lunged, grabbing Roark's wrist to pull him to safety, but, just to their luck, the ground that he was standing on gave out from their weight.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhh!!!" they both yelled as they tumbled down into the darkness.

Fortunately, the ground was softer at the bottom, and the small cliff that they fell from sloped gently to it. Roark had finally noticed that they had stopped rolling, coughing from all the dust that they've kicked up. "R-Riley??" he choked, looking around frantically. The dust created a brown fog, making it hard to see anything at the moment. Roark felt some stinging on his arm, and saw that a small pointed rock had cut into it, probably while he was falling down. He pulled it out hastily, and there still was no answer from Riley. "Riley!?" he called out again, feeling fear twist his stomach into a knot. He relaxed when he felt someone coughing next to him. "You okay?" Roark asked, turning towards the sound.

"Y-yeah..." Riley gasped, still coughing from the dust in the air, though everything was starting to settle down again. Finally, Roark could see as the dirt fog cleared. He looked up in shock when he saw how far up they had fallen from. The cliff had to be at least 15 feet high. Riley was still coughing-he probably inhaled a lot more dust than Roark did-and the younger boy patted his back, hoping that that would help. "Thanks," Riley breathed, looking up at him. Roark could see a few bruises on his face, caused by the fall, and knew that he probably had some as well.

"That was close...it's a good thing that we wore these helmets," Roark said, reaching up to touch his. Riley nodded, his coughing fit finally ceasing.

"But...how will we get out of here?" he questioned, looking upwards at the top of the cliff.

"Maybe...we could climb it?" Roark suggested. "It'll be hard, but it's worth a try." Riley nodded again. Both of them started trying to scale the wall. It was pretty hard; a lot of the rocks crumbled away when touched, but they got up the wall about 4 feet. That is, until Riley slipped. Roark, with a yell, quickly grabbed his hand before he fell to the ground again, though the sudden extra weight made it hard for him to hang onto the rocky wall. "I don't think this is going to work!!!" Roark shouted, his grip loosening. Riley struggled to reach the wall again, but he just couldn't touch the rocks. At a final attempt, he pulled something out of his pocket with his free hand. "What're you doing???" Roark questioned, still grabbing onto the wall, hanging on the best he could. Then, he finally realized that Riley had pulled out a Pokeball.

"Go, Riolu!!" he shouted after a few moments of aiming. The ball nearly reached the top, but not quite, falling short about a foot and a half. The Pokeball popped open anyways, revealing a Pokemon that Roark had never seen before. It was a strange blue pup, with a black mask-like marking over its eyes, a black torso and black hindpaws. On its forepaws were two strange white bumps, and its eyes were big and red. It barked cheerfully when it was sent out, but then, realizing the position it was in, started running frantically in the air, and somehow managed to grab the edge of the cliff and hoist itself up.

At the same time of when Riolu appeared, Roark lost his grip on the rock that they were hanging on, and the boys both tumbled back onto the ground. Riolu looked down at them, barking with alarm. "We're fine, Riolu!" Riley called up at it. "Hurry, go run to our parents and lead them here! Go!!" The tiny Pokemon barked again, and turned and ran out of sight.

"I've never seen that Pokemon before," Roark said, staring at the place where the Riolu was a second ago. Usually, the Pokemon that he had never heard of before were probably rare.

"Yeah...it's Riolu," Riley explained. "I just got it as a starter Pokemon."

"How'd you get such a rare Pokemon as a starter?" the younger boy asked, standing up again.

"It's...a long story," Riley sighed. He turned and stared at the area beyond them, which was shrouded in darkness. "We should go look for a way out..."

"Yeah," Roark agreed. He switched on the light on his helmet and started walking away from the wall. After a second, he stopped and stared in awe of what was infront of him. "Whoaaa...Riley, look!!"

Riley joined him, turning on his light as well. The bad news was: there was a huge solid wall in front of them, making it apparent to them that they were trapped in a pit with no way out. The good news was that the whole wall was practically made of fossils.

"This is...amazing..." Roark gasped. He ran closer to the wall to get a better look. "Just wait until Dad sees this! He's going to be so-" He suddenly stopped as a growl suddenly echoed through the pit. Both boys froze as it sounded again, directly to the left of where they were standing. Slowly, they both turned their heads, and the helmet lights fell on something rocky...and moving. The creature slowly slithered out of the darkness, revealing itself. It was a Pokemon, one that looked like a giant snake made of boulders and rocks connected together. Its cold, black eyes glared at them menacingly.

"It...it's Onix..." Roark whispered, holding as still as he could.

"I think...we're in its territory," Riley breathed back, also not moving. They stared at the giant snake for what seemed like an eternity...

...And the Pokemon finally bellowed in rage. "RUN!!!" Roark screamed. He and Riley ran as fast as they could, back towards the giant cliff. There was really nowhere to go, since they were in a giant pit with no escape, but the idea was to get the farthest away from the angered Pokemon. Once they reached the other side, they flattened themselves to the wall as the Onix advanced. The Pokemon paused to glare at them again, then reared back, about to strike. Riley swallowed with difficulty, then stepped protectively in front of Roark. The younger boy stared at him in surprise. "Wh-what're you doing?" he asked weakly.

"I've...got to try this." Was all Riley said. The Onix roared, then lunged at them with its head. Riley held his hands out, as if he was trying to block the attack. Suddenly, a small shining blue shield, which looked like an incomplete barrier, materialized at his hands, and the Onix bashed into it. Riley gritted his teeth at the collision, not able to handle the Onix's brute force. "Aaaahh!!" he shouted as the force pushed him backwards, into the rocky wall.

"Riley!!" Roark exclaimed, watching him fall back. "Are you okay!?" The older boy lifted himself back to his feet with some great effort.

"Yeah...I'm fine," he growled, though blocking that attack took a big toll on his body. He felt the energy drain from him quickly, as he wasn't trained well enough to do something like this yet.

"What was that!?" Roark questioned, though didn't have time to get an answer as the Onix roared and attacked again. Riley quickly stepped in front, deflecting the attack again, with the same results. The same thing happened the third time, but Riley couldn't get up anymore, gasping for breath. "Riley, stop that!" Roark cried fearfully. He still didn't know what it was, but whatever he was doing, it was hurting him badly.

Riley ignored him, still trying to get up. Roark put his hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him down again.

"If you do that one more time, you'll...!!" Before the boy could finish, the Onix roared again, sounding even more angry than it did before. Roark frowned, and, as quickly as he could, ran to the right, away from Riley. Picking up a small rock, he threw it at the Onix to get its attention. "Hey!!" he shouted, and the giant snake turned its attention to him. "I'm over here! Come and get me, you big dumby!!!" he taunted, sticking his tongue out at it. The rock snake growled, obviously falling for the taunt. It turned and tackled the younger boy instead.

"Roark!!!" Riley yelled. He tried to get up again, but he could barely move at all. Fortunately, Roark calculated right, and jumped out of the way just in time as the Onix's head bashed into the wall. It bellowed again in pain and anger, pulling its head back. Roark readied himself for the next attack, but instead of tackling, the Onix opened its mouth. A huge scream erupted from it as it used screech attack. Both Roark and Riley covered their ears as the deafening sound pierced their eardrums. Riley shouted something that Roark couldn't hear, and the next thing he knew, the Onix had twisted its tail around him, and he was lifted from the ground.

"Aaaaaah!!!" Roark yelled in panic. He tried to struggle his way out of the Pokemon's wrap attack, but it only made the Onix's grip tighten, making it harder to breathe. Riley was desperately yelling at him at the bottom of the pit, but was too beat to do anything. Roark closed his eyes, with tears starting to form. _'Help me...Mom...Dad...!!!'_

"Bastiodon, use flash cannon!!!" a familiar voice suddenly spoke. The boy's eyes snapped open.

"BASTIO...DON!!!" the Pokemon called out. Roark felt the jolt as the attack hit the Onix square in the chest. The rock snake bellowed in pain and toppled over. The bad thing was: Roark was still wrapped by its tail. The coils loosened, and he started falling back down, from about 20 feet in the sky. He yelled in fear as he saw nothing but the ground.

"SON!!!!" Byron bellowed, but was too far to save him. He could only watch helplessly as his son plummetted down, with nothing to break his fall...

Roark closed his eyes, bracing himself as he waited to feel the pain as he crashed to the ground...

...Only to feel arms on his back as someone caught him. He opened his eyes slowly to see Riley's face. The older boy was kneeling; he had used the last of his energy to sprint over, catching Roark just in time, and skinning his knees in the process. His breath was shaky, but his expression changed from fear and shock to pure relief. "I...got you," he gasped. Roark stared for a second, then gave a small smile.

"...Thanks..."

All of the parents, with Byron's Steelix's help, climbed down into the pit calling their names, to find both boys lying on the ground, passed out from exhaustion.

----------

Riley jolted awake, his eyes snapping open. He was staring up at a white ceiling, feeling confused. _'Where...am I?'_ He turned his head to see a white bed, and in it, a sleeping Roark. Immediately, Riley's memory came back. He remembered everything, but he still couldn't figure out where he was. Atempting to slide into a sitting position, he winced as he felt pain shoot through his body. It felt like every muscle was aching, and the blanket covering him felt like steel wool against his knees. After a lot of effort, he managed to partially sit up, using his forearms as support. His struggling woke up a certain small Pokemon sleeping at his side, its ears twitching as it opened its eyes slowly.

When Riolu realized that its owner was awake, it barked cheerfully, wide awake in a split second, jumping energetically back and forth on the bed. Riley laughed when he spotted the tiny Pokemon.

"Riolu!!" he exclaimed, and the Pokemon jumped happily into his arms. Riley hugged it tightly, then set it down gently back on the bed. "Thanks for getting help for us...it really helped us out a lot! If it wasn't for you, we would've been done for," he laughed. The Pokemon grinned back, and barked, and its owner petted it on the head. "You did great. I'm proud of you..."

The pup hopped off of the bed and jumped up and down between Riley's and Roark's beds. It barked happily, and suddenly started to glow...

Riley watched in surprise and amazement as the small glow turned to an almost blinding white light, and slowly, the Pokemon started to transform, growing a few feet taller, and its ears grew longer and more pointed. The brightness made Roark stir in his sleep, and he slowly opened his eyes to see the last part of the transformation. Finally, the light burst apart, revealing a new Pokemon. It still slightly resembled the Riolu, but looking a lot older. It stood about 3 to 4 feet tall, with a fluffy light tan torso. It had slim, blue arms, that transitioned into its black paws. It had three white spikes on its body, one sticking out from its torso, and one on the back of each forepaw. Its mask marking on its eyes striped all the way around its head, its ears were tall and pointed, and it had four aura sensors on the back of its head instead of just two.

"Whoaaaa," both boys exclaimed at the same time, then looked up and spotted each other, realizing that the other was awake. Roark grinned.

"Is that Riolu!?" he exclaimed. "It must've evolved!!" Riley looked to the younger boy, then at his evolved Pokemon, speechless at the moment. Then, he grinned as well, as Roark quickly jumped out of his bed, to stand by the new Pokemon.

"Wow...you're taller than me now!!!" he exclaimed, looking up at the furry and spiky Pokemon. It grinned at the boy, seeming to feel accomplished. Riley watched Roark and the evolved Riolu, amused as they examined each other curiously. He would've gotten up, but seeing that he was too sore to even sit up straight, he just stayed put. Suddenly, the Pokemon closed its eyes and its aura sensors raised upwards slightly. Both boys stared at it, curious on what it was doing, and it opened its eyes, looking towards the doorway. Soon enough, five people walked in to check on what the noise was all about. the first was Nurse Joy, and behind her were Roark's and Riley's parents.

"Oh, my!!" Nurse Joy exclaimed, looking genuinely surprised. "A Lucario...?" The parents, however were worried about their children first. They all ran into the room, exclaiming things like: "Honey, you're awake!" "How are you feeling?" "You must be hungry! Did you eat yet?" Whereas, the two boys didn't really pay attention to their concerns, countering their questions by talking excitedly about what happened down at the mine; Roark trying to tell his dad about the fossil wall that they found, and Riley talking about how impressive the mine was, and about all the Pokemon that they saw down there. Their parents finally gave up on trying to ask them questions about their health conditions, and listened to their adventurous story. Kids were kids, after all.

"That seemed like a really exciting day for you boys!" Roark's mother commented when they finished their story. "It's kind of dangerous, though, don't you think?"

"Only the part with the Onix!!" Roark countered. "I was almost scared to death...but Riley stood up to it!"

"Hey, I was pretty scared, too," Riley cut in. "You were the one who ran out in the open to distract it, though!"

"You were still really cool!"

"You were, too." The two of them grinned at each other, and Byron looked at them with amusement.

_'I told you that you would get along with each other, son,'_ he thought to himself with a smirk.

Roark frowned slightly for a second. "But...are you okay, Riley? You got pretty badly hurt, right?" he asked, remembering the amount of damage that the older boy took. Riley flinched, remembering about his injuries.

"Yeah...it kind of hurts to move," he admitted, wincing as he shifted his weight slightly in the bed that he was still laying in. His mother gave him a sudden worried expression.

"Will you be okay, though, sweetie?" she questioned. Riley nodded quickly, trying to avoid getting anyone too worried about him.

"I suggest that he should stay at this Pokemon Center for a while," Nurse Joy suddenly said, making everyone remember that she was still in the room. "At least until he's recovered well enough to travel..." His parents looked at each other in hesitation, then nodded in agreement.

"I guess you're right...we can spare a few days before going home, anyways," Riley's dad said thoughtfully. "We can maybe rent-"

"Oh, no!" Roark's mom exclaimed. "No friend of our family has to pay for a room in this city! I've cleaned the guest room at our house, for emergencies just like this! Feel free to stay as long as you'd like."

"She won't take no as an answer, so you should really just accept it," Byron mouthed from behind her.

"Um...okay?" Riley's mother agreed hesitantly, this being their first time in this situation.

"Excellent!!" Roark's mother exclaimed, clapping her hands together cheerfully. Riley looked down, apparently feeling guilty that he was holding everyone up, but Roark reassured him.

"Don't be so down, Riley," he told him. "I mean, since you're staying longer, now we get to explore the mine together more, right? You should really see what it looks like when everyone's working there at the same time!!"

"Roark!" his mother scolded. "You should give Riley this time to recover! Not explore again and get injured even more!"

"But...!! Lucario's here now," Roark countered, pointing dramatically to the awesome blue jackal, who was sitting by Riley's side again on the bed, looking just like a bodyguard. "If it comes with us, we'll be fine, I'm sure of it!"

"Well..." his mother hesitated.

"Hey, honey, it'll be fine if I tag along too, riiiiiight?" Byron teased.

"Oh, all right, fine, dear," Roark's mother sighed, finally convinced. Byron grinned. With him supervising the workers, there has never any kind of trouble down at the mine ever since he started the job.

"All right!!!!" Roark exclaimed, punching the air in victory. He turned to Riley, looking extremely excited. "We get to explore the mine together more!! This is going to be great!!!"

Riley grinned and nodded, looking excited as well. "I can't wait for it!!" Lucario smiled and growled as well, expressing an adventurous vibe.

**END**

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**That was very long...I did not expect it to be so long. Eheh...well, if you've finished reading the story, thanks for reading!!! Please review!!!!!


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